It is unclear who exactly launched a website urging B.C. United Leader Kevin Falcon to resign, but B.C. United has an idea.
Adam Wilson, B.C. United’s director of communications, said in an emailed statement to Black Press Media that the party does not respond to questions resulting from “anonymous social media accounts or websites.”
But Wilson added that there is “no evidence it is run by any former members of (B.C.) United” and that “is more likely another underhanded scheme from John Rustad’s (B.C.) Conservatives after he torpedoed negotiations last week.”
Provincial Conservatives said in a statement that they do not know who made this website.
“Our candidates have been asked not to get involved with this BCU infighting,” it reads.
When asked for comment about B.C. United’s claims, the Conservatives repeated their statement: “We have no idea who made this website.”
Several attempts by Black Press Media to contact the self-described “group of long-time (B.C.) Liberal activists” claiming to be behind resignkevin.ca have gone unanswered.
The website blames Falcon for a “series of decisions and actions that have harmed the chances of defeating the NDP” following his “ill-considered return to politics” as leader of then B.C. Liberals, now B.C. United.
“It’s time for a change within United to move forward from the biggest impediment to a free enterprise cooperation agreement in British Columbia,” it reads. “For the sake of all British Columbians, Kevin Falcon must do the right thing and step aside.”
The website argues that Falcon’s resignation “will allow for real conversations and negotiations to happen between the free enterprise parties” that would be “free from ego, based on current political realities and grounded in a workable solution” to defeat the B.C. NDP.
The website acknowledges Falcon’s resignation “isn’t an ideal course of action” but sees few alternatives.
“(Due) to an obstinate leader with delusions of grandeur, we are left with few other options to engineer the cooperation that is so desperately needed.”
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According to publicly available information, the website went online on May 21 — one day before the second and final of two ultimately unsuccessful meetings between “trusted emissaries” from both parties to sound out “common ground” between the two parties, as Falcon had described that process this month.
Falcon announced on May 24 that the B.C. Conservatives under John Rustad had rejected B.C. United’s “generous” proposal for a non-competition agreement between the two parties.
“I have to tell you today that John Rustad ultimately made the decision that that’s not something that he wants to proceed with and he is going to put his personal ambitions, as he views them, above the best interests of the province,” Falcon said.
Rustad responded by saying that B.C. United’s non-competition agreement was not a serious offer and would have led to another NDP government.
“Kevin Falcon says publicly that he wants to put his ego aside, but privately, any discussions or ‘offers’ have been completely unserious and dishonest,” Rustad said.
This exchange between Falcon and Rustad seems to have set off a series of exchanges between their camps on social media. Both faced off against each other again Monday (May 28) — albeit not together — on a popular morning radio show airing across Greater Victoria.
B.C.’s Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said his government is focused on making sure people have supports they need. “(Kevin) Falcon and John Rustad continue to be focused on fighting each other.”
